Aradhana (1969 film)
Aradhana (transl. Worship) is a 1969 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Shakti Samanta, starring Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna. It won the Filmfare Award for Best Film at the 17th Filmfare Awards. Tagore won her only Filmfare Best Actress Award.[7] Originally released in Hindi[8] and dubbed in Bengali, Aradhana’s huge success led to two remakes: the Tamil film Sivagamiyin Selvan (1974)[9] and the Telugu film Kannavari Kalalu (1974).[10] This film is counted among the 17 consecutive hit films of Rajesh Khanna between 1969 and 1971, by adding the two hero films Marayada and Andaz to the 15 consecutive solo hits he gave from 1969 to 1971.[11] Aradhana was a blockbuster in India and the Soviet Union.[12][d] The theme of the movie was based on the 1946 film To Each His Own.[13]
In an idyllic hilly terrain, Indian Air Force officer Arun Varma sings “Mere Sapno Ki Rani” atop an open jeep along with his co-pilot Madan, while Vandana, the daughter of a doctor Gopal Tripathi demurely sneaks glances at him from a mini train. After a brief romance, they have a secret wedding. After which it starts raining and they have to stay in a hotel, during this they have sex with each other. This is where Vandana becomes pregnant.
Soon afterward, Arun dies in an air crash. His family refuses to accept the unwed Vandana since her marriage with Arun was never formalised. Meanwhile, her father also dies, leaving her destitute. Vandana’s son is finally born, but she is forced to let a childless couple adopt him. Determined to be a part of his life, she accepts the responsibility of becoming his nanny. The boy is named Suraj. Her employer’s brother Shyam arrives and lusts for Vandana. He tries to rape her when no one is around, but Suraj arrives and stabs him to death to save Vandana. When the police arrive, Vandana takes the blame for the murder and is arrested while Suraj runs away and forgets this mishap as he grows up.
Several years later, when Vandana is released from jail, she is befriended by the jailor who takes her home and introduces her to his daughter Renu. Vandana comes face to face with Suraj when she discovers that Renu is dating him. Suraj, just like how his father wished, is an air-force officer. He slowly starts remembering that he has seen Vandana somewhere, although Vandana wants to hide the truth as she feels Suraj may be embarrassed upon realising his parents’ background and history. Vandana makes herself at home at the jailor’s house.
